By: Chris Gilson, cgilson@cbs4qc.com
News about jobs and businesses coming to Rock Island seems to have the city on an economic upswing.
It wasn't too long ago that we were talking about TSC Global and the Sara Lee Bakery closing up shop in Rock Island.
But, in the past few months the city has announced Wal-Mart, and Fareway Foods, just to name a couple, are coming to town.
"It's turned into the perfect storm," Rock Island City Manager, Thomas Thomas said.
A storm Rock Island City Manager Thomas Thomas said didn't form overnight. He said it's taken some leg work to make contacts and a more aggressive approach.
"It's been a combination of those things combined with the mayor and council who has this goal has this goal as to be their top priority," he said.
Goombazz Big City Eats, is one of those businesses that opened up shop in Rock Island, last fall.
The owner said it was the pro activeness of the city that sold them.
"Rock Island embraced us walked us through and gave us ideas for funding purposes that we were unaware of," Brenda Brewer said.
Thomas said with so many new businesses coming to town, Rock Island homeowners will notice the changes in more ways than one.
Thomas said they're proposing not raising property taxes.
"We know good things are coming, we know the increase from sales tax is going to come and we know with these new developments new property taxes are going to be rolling in," he said.
And Thomas doesn't this is the end of the economic boom.
"We get calls everyday from different businesses looking at opportunities in our area because they know we're out there," he said.
Thomas said more exciting economic news is on the way in two weeks. That's when city leaders will talk more about their plans for development near Jumers.
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